Search Results (8)

Background: In recent years, titanium dioxide (TiO₂) nanoparticles (NPs) have been widely used in various industries due to their favorable chemical properties, and their contamination of the environment has attracted much attention, especially to aquatic animals. Methods: Therefore, we assessed the impact of TiO₂ NPs (5 mg/L) on the marine bivalve, pearl oyster (Pinctada fucata martensii), especially gill metabolism. Pearl oysters were exposed to seawater containing 5 mg/L TiO₂ NPs for 14 days, followed by 7 days of recovery in untreated seawater. Gill tissues and hepatopancreatic tissues were sampled on days 0, 14, and 21 of the experiment named C0, E14, and R7, respectively. Results: Metabolomic analysis identified 102 significantly different metabolites (SDMs) on gills tissue in pearl oysters following exposure to TiO₂ NPs (C0 vs. E14). Compared with group C0, group E14 had 76 SDMs (such as acetylcholine, itaconic acid, citric acid, and taurine) with higher concentrations and 26 (including L-arginine and isobutyryl-L-carnitine) with lower concentrations. KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) analysis showed that these SDMs enriched 28 pathways, including glycine, serine, and threonine metabolism, neuroactive ligand–receptor interaction, and taurine and hypotaurine metabolism. In addition, 116 SDMs were identified in E14 and R7 pearl oysters. Compared with group E14, group R7 had 74 metabolites (such as acetylcholine, 6-phosphogluconic acid, isocitric acid, and itaconic acid) with higher concentrations and 42 (including uracil, glycerophosphocholine, N-Acetyl-D-glucosamine) with lower concentrations. The SDMs identified between E14 and R7 enriched 25 pathways, including the pentose phosphate pathway, glutathione metabolism, and citrate cycle (TCA cycle). In addition, analysis of the energy metabolism-associated enzymes revealed that exposure to TiO₂ NPs reduced Ca²⁺/Mg²⁺-ATPase, Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase, and Total-ATPase activities. Conclusions: These findings suggested that TiO₂ NPs may inhibit the energy metabolism function of gill and hepatopancreas of pearl oysters. Meanwhile, TiO₂ NPs may affect the normal functioning of immune and osmoregulatory functions of pearl oysters gill and even may lead to oxidative stress and neurotoxicity. Therefore, this study may provide a reference for analyzing the bioadaptation of marine bivalves to TiO₂ NPs and the potential negative effects of TiO₂ NPs on bivalves. Full article

To investigate the effects of bonito oligopeptide SEP-3 on the repair of liver damage and regulation of liver biorhythm in sleep-deprived mice (SDM), C57BL/6 male mice were subjected to sleep deprivation by modified multi-platform water environment method, and were given different doses of bonito oligopeptide SEP-3 in groups. To determine the liver organ index, liver tissue-related apoptotic protein levels, Wnt/β-Catenin pathway-related protein expression levels, serum alanine transaminase (ALT), glutamicum transaminase (AST), glucocorticoid (GC), and adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) content in each group of mice, four time points were selected to examine the mRNA expression levels of circadian clock-related genes in mouse liver tissue. The results showed that low, medium, and high doses of SEP-3 significantly increased SDM, ALT, and AST (p < 0.05), and medium and high doses of SEP-3 significantly reduced SDM liver index and GC and ACTH. As SEP-3 increased the apoptotic protein and Wnt/β-Catenin pathway, mRNA expression gradually tended to normal (p < 0.05). This suggests that sleep deprivation can cause excessive oxidative stress in mice, which can lead to liver damage. Additionally, oligopeptide SEP-3 achieves the repair of liver damage by inhibiting SDM hepatocyte apoptosis, activating liver Wnt/β-Catenin pathway, and promoting hepatocyte proliferation and migration, and suggests that oligopeptide SEP-3 is closely related to repair of liver damage by regulating the biological rhythm of SDM disorder. Full article

We aimed to compare psychophysiological responses in adults according to cognitive demand levels for horticultural activities to confirm the feasibility of horticultural activity for improving attention and emotional states. A total of 60 adults in their 20s were included in this crossover design study. Participants performed soil-mixing activities with 2 cognitive demand levels for 2 min each. Electroencephalography (EEG) and electrocardiography (ECG) were performed during these activities. After each activity, the semantic differential method (SDM) was used to evaluate the emotional states of the participants. EEG results revealed that relative fast alpha and low beta power spectrums in the frontal lobes were high during the activity with high cognitive demand compared to those during the low demand activity, which indicates activation in the prefrontal cortex. ECG results showed that during the high cognitive demand activity, the standard deviation of the RR intervals of male adults was high, indicating a high-stress resistance ability of the autonomic nervous system. However, as a result of the SDM, there were no significant differences in emotional states according to the level of activity difficulty. Therefore, this study confirmed the possibility that the intervention of horticultural activities of an appropriate difficulty did not negatively affect subjective emotional changes and could have a positive effect on the improvement of attention levels and emotional stability in adults. Full article

This study was designed to assess the physiological and psychological benefits of visually looking at foliage plants in adults. This study involved 30 adults in their 20s (11 males, 19 females), and using a crossover design, participants looked at four different types of visual stimuli, namely, real plants, artificial plants, a photograph of plants, and no plants for 5 min. Brain waves were measured while viewing each type of plant, and a subjective evaluation of emotions was performed after each visual stimulus. Semantic differential methods (SDM) and Profile of Mood States (POMS) were used for the subjective evaluation. During the real plant visual stimulation, relative theta (RT) power spectrum was increased in the bilateral occipital lobes, while relative high beta (RHB) power spectrum was reduced in the left occipital lobe, indicating a reduction in stress, anxiety, and tension. The subjective survey results revealed that when looking at real plants, the participants exhibited significantly higher “comfort,” “natural,” and “relaxed” scores as well as an increase in positive mood conditions. In conclusion, among the four types of plants, visual stimulation with real plants induces physiological relaxation in adults and has a positive psychological effect. Full article

Total knee replacement (TKR) is a remarkable achievement in biomedical science that enhances human life. However, human beings still suffer from knee-joint-related problems such as aseptic loosening caused by excessive wear between articular surfaces, stress-shielding of the bone by prosthesis, and soft tissue development in the interface of bone and implant due to inappropriate selection of TKR material. The choice of most suitable materials for the femoral component of TKR is a critical decision; therefore, in this research paper, a hybrid multiple-criteria decision-making (MCDM) tactic is applied using the degree of membership (DoM) technique with a varied system, using the weighted sum method (WSM), the weighted product method (WPM), the weighted aggregated sum product assessment method (WASPAS), an evaluation based on distance from average solution (EDAS), and a technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS). The weights of importance are assigned to different criteria by the equal weights method (EWM). Furthermore, sensitivity analysis is conducted to check the solidity of the projected tactic. The weights of importance are varied using the entropy weights technique (EWT) and the standard deviation method (SDM). The projected hybrid MCDM methodology is simple, reliable and valuable for a conflicting decision-making environment. Full article

The work investigates the importance of the K-T approach in the modelling of pressure cracked structures. T-stress is the constant in the second term of the Williams expression; it is often negligible, but recent literature has shown that there are cases where T-stress plays the role of opening the crack, also T-stress improves elastic modeling at the point of crack. In this research study, the most important effects of the T-stress are collected and analyzed. A numerical analysis was carried out by the extended finite element method (X-FEM) to analyze T-stress in an arc with external notch under internal pressure. The different stress method (SDM) is employed to calculate T-stress. Moreover, the influence of the geometry of the notch on the biaxiality is also examined. The biaxiality gave us a view on the initiation of the crack. The results are extended with a comparison to previous literature to validate the promising investigations. Full article

Studies have indicated that natural environments have the potential to improve the relationship between a stressful life and psychological well-being and physical health. Forest therapy has recently received widespread attention as a novel solution for stress recovery and health promotion. Bamboo is an important forest type in many countries, especially in East and Southeast Asia and in African countries. Bamboo is widespread throughout southwestern China. Empirical field research on the physiological effects of bamboo forest therapy is currently lacking. To explore the benefits of bamboo forest therapy on the physiological responses of university students, 120 university volunteers between the ages of 19 and 24 participated in this study (60 males and 60 females) and were randomly divided into four groups of equal size (15 males and 15 females in each). Four sites were selected for the experiment, including two natural bamboo forests (YA and YB), a bamboo forest park (DJY), and an urban environment (CS). During the testing period, all participants were asked to view the landscape for 15 min in the morning and then walk in the testing area for 15 min in the afternoon. Blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR), and peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2) were measured as the physiological indexes, and the semantic differential method (SDM) questionnaire was completed for the environmental satisfaction evaluation. The SDM for the subjective environmental evaluation differed significantly among the university students; they obtained a better environmental experience, in terms of sensory perception, atmosphere, climate, place, and space, in the bamboo forest sites. The three-day bamboo forest therapy session improved the physiological well-being of university students. First, the blood pressure and heart rate of the university students decreased, and the SpO2 increased, after the three-day viewing and walking activities of the three-day bamboo forest therapy session. The viewing activities had a more pronounced effect on decreased heart rate in university students. Additionally, three-day bamboo forest therapy had a positive impact on decreased systolic blood pressure and heart rate in the university students, and it was significantly decreased in females, while peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2) remained relatively low. Finally, compared with the urban site (CS), the bamboo forest sites effectively improved the university students’ physiological state of health, decreased their physical pressure, and stabilized their physiological indicators. These findings provide scientific evidence that a three-day bamboo forest therapy session can increase positive physiological responses. The potential for a longer-term effect on human physiological health requires further investigation. Full article

Seismogenic fault geometry, especially for a blind fault, is usually difficult to derive, based only on the distribution of aftershocks and interference fringes of Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR). To better constrain the fault geometry of the 2017 Jiuzhaigou Mw 6.5 earthquake, we first carried out a nonlinear inversion for a single fault source using multi-peak particle swarm optimization (MPSO), Monte Carlo (MC), and Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) algorithms, respectively, with constraints of InSAR data in multiple SAR viewing geometries. The fault geometry models retrieved with different methods were highly consistent and mutually verifiable, showing that a blind faulting with a strike of ~154° and a dip angle of ~77° was responsible for the Jiuzhaigou earthquake. Based on the optimal fault geometry model, the fault slip distribution jointly inverted from the InSAR and Global Positioning System (GPS) data by the steepest descent method (SDM) and the MC method showed that the slip was mainly concentrated at the depth of 1–15 km, and only one slip center appeared at the depth of 5–9 km with a maximum slip of about 1.06 m, some different from previous studies. Taking the shear modulus of μ = 32 GPa, the seismic moment derived from the distributed slip model was about 7.85 × 10¹⁸ Nm, equivalent to Mw 6.54, which was slightly larger than that from the focal mechanism solutions. The fault spatial geometry and slip distribution could be further validated with the spatial patterns of the immediate aftershocks. Most of the off-fault aftershocks with the magnitude > M2 within one year after the mainshock occurred in the stress positive stress change area, which coincided with the stress triggering theory. The static Coulomb stress, triggered by the mainshock, significantly increased at the Tazang fault (northwest to the epicenter), and at the hidden North Huya fault, and partial segments of the Minjiang fault (west of the epicenter). Full article